EIGHT people have been injured in a terrifying explosion when a tourist boat caught fire at a Costa del Sol resort.
The boat blew up as it was leaving the marina in Fuengirola.
SolarpixLocals rushed to aid trapped boat crew and passengers[/caption]
SolarpixAll eight people aboard the boat were injured in the blaze[/caption]
SolarpixThe smoke was visible from nearby beaches[/caption]
Video footage shows the smoke billowing from the motorboat as it was attempting to leave the local marina.
Firefighters can be seen dousing the flames engulfing the boat and marina with hoses from the closest point on dry land.
Locals on jet skis and other boats rushed to the aid of the trapped passengers and tried to help put out the blaze.
It is not clear if any Brits were aboard or amongst those hurt.
Eight people have been reported injured, with three of the victims being rushed to hospital after sustaining “serious wounds”.
The alarm was raised at 12.20pm on Saturday, when several witnesses reported seeing a black plume of smoke rising into the air.
The inferno was clearly visible from nearby beaches.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown.
A fisherman told local media: “It was an open boat made of polyester, which is a very bad combination with fuel because it burns very quickly”.
The boat sank as a result of the fire on board.
The area where it submerged has been sealed off by local emergency services in order for an investigation to be completed.
A spokesperson from the Fuengirola Town Hall said: “The Rescue and Lifesaving Service, the Fire Department and the Local Police Force… as well as the Civil Guard, responded today to a fire on a boat sailing in the marina, near the mouth of the harbour”.
“For reasons which are still unclear there was an explosion and the boat caught fire,” they said.
“Within minutes, rescue workers from the Rescue Service reached the crew and brought them to safety.”
The spokesperson said a total of eight people had been on board the boat at the time of the explosion.
“All of them were injured, three of them seriously, and they were placed in the care of emergency medical responders,” the spokesperson continued.
“Officials from the Andalusian Ports Agency are closely monitoring the situation to assess the need for anti-spill measures.”